Extension table



Nov. 25, 1941.v H. NoNNAsT 2,253,816

EXTENSION TABLE l Filed April 1, 1940 -2 sheets-sheet 1 j?? www?? Patented Nov. 25, 1941 1UNi'fllzD ySTATES -PATfEN 'I' OFF ICE EXTENSIQN'TABLE .Hermann Nonnast, .Chicago, .111.

Application April 1, 1940, 'Serial No. 3279099 rc1. er1-:58)

linvention relates to a novel and improved .extension table.

One ofthe mainob'jects of thisinvention is'to provide an .extensiontable lof the .type 'having the extension leaf vslidable .under `the stationary top,

-and which table is so .arranged that it can be manufactured fat .a .minimum of cost for 'labor and material and yetis durable, .and at .the same time can .be conveniently .manipulatedand will ralsorbe heldfsafelyinextended position.

:Another Yobject of this v.invention is .to provide .such .a table `with .economical ,and ,efficient "link means for `mcuntingits .extension .leaf .so as to be'conveniently operable.

Another-object of .this invention :is to .provide .such an .extensiontable with improved operating means Awhich lis `conveniently operable in raising and-in lowering the .extension leaf,.is further `arranged for safely holding the leaf in place and 'prevent Ait from dropping while being .moved into its -.opera-tive position, and is also .equipped for .conveniently looking the :leaf in such .operative Apesition against `the stationary top.

, .These nand various other .objects `and @advantages `are .attained -With this invention, as will .become-'apparent from the following description, .taken .in connection with .the accompanying drawings wherein this invention is illustrated .in -its preferred form, .it .being apparent .that other arrangements .and .forms yof construction .may be .adopted for carrying out the objects and purposes `of this invention.

.In the drawings:

l is a side :elevational view of .this extensiontablashowing ythe near leaf .in its closed Aposition.

.-Eig. V2 ris .an inver-ted .plan view, showing .one extension .leaf .in :itsclosed position and theother leaf in its outer Vextended position.

.Fig 3 isa vertical sectional view, .taken .on line 3-3 .of Fig. 2- longitudinally of .the .table top.

Fig. 4 zis .an .enlarged cross-sectional View., taken Online #4 4 of Fig. l,.showing.one`.1eaf in itsinoperative position .and .the .other vleaf in `its outer extended position.

.Eig 5 is .an .enlarged cross-sectional view, taken .on .line '.5-5 Aof Fig. l, showing one .leaf in its Yinoperative and the other leafin its operative position.

Fig. 6 is .an enlarged partial sectional view ilt lustrating .the linkmechanism, taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail View, taken 'on line T-'l of Fig. '6.

means provided on rthe tabletop and adapted to be engaged by the `'hook means 'on vthe operating member, to lock the lextension leaf `in its .operative position.

In 'the drawings this invention `isjillnstrated 'in itspre'f'erred form .of construction, jwhich 'comprises aframe 'i l including vsideimeniloers or rails "H and endmembers 'or rails `I2,"secured together .and 4mounted upon .supporting legs 1'3, .as '.by means of '.bolts lil to allow detaching of said legs. The ,main table section or top `l5 is mounted stationary upon said frame, preferably b y means `of bridge plates or .beams I6 secured longitudinally underneath ithe intermediate Apartof the top and .therewith Ysecured upon two opposite rails, being shown herein .as secured upon the two l.end rails Yl2, ftherebyspacing the opposite side jportions-of the top .l5 vabove the two side rails H. Theex- -tension'leaves lll provided herein are freely rmov- .able .into .andout of .said spaces beneath fthe ftop l5.

.Apair .of slide means or `units i9 .are mounted underneath lthe bridge .beams I5, each .unit Vcomprisinga centralbar or .element 20 which islsecured under said beam, and .two outer elements .2l Aand 22 which are.s1idably connected ywith the -two vopposite sides of .element 20, vas by suitable vrabbetmeans, :as indicated inthe drawings. -A cross-bar 23 is secured to .the outer ends lof-.each

Bl) pair Vvof `elements 2| `and 22, thus .forming .a :pair

13B-slidable elements 2| and bars Vparalle1,and eachlink has an upper Varm t28 andaJ lower arm 29 `whichare Ipivotally placed in boresrprovided in said bars. Two -of the upper bars 2'4 aresecured .under leaf l1, and two lower bars v25 are securedto .the sides .of `a pair of f-said elements 2l, and likewise yto a pair of elements 22 while a V-shapednotch-30 is :provided inthe side o'f each lower bar "2 5, for housing a substantial portion of link`26 therein betweensaid 'bar and the attached element.

EB-y this arrangement the link `is held safely in place, 4and any working loose or dropping out o'f the pivot arms is prevented, which is a known'defeet of the link mechanisms used `in the former table constructions; vand no securing pins or Fig. B 'is a perspective view of suitable vlock 55 means'are needed herein'on the ends of the'link arms for retaining them in the openings. Herein the bight portions of the links will bear against the slanting wall parts 30 of the notches 30, and will limit the inward and the outward swinging movement of the pair of upper bars 24, carrying leaf I1, on the lower bars 25.

Each bar 24 has its outer end slanting downward and inward providing a beveled end 3|, to facilitate these two bars 24 and the leaf thereon in swinging readily over cross-bar 23, and yet afford an extended supporting surface on the upper side for the attached leaf I1.

Improved operating means is provided herein, and it is arranged to serve a plurality of useful purposes. It comprises a bar or lever 32 which is preferably resilient and has an integral ,pivot sleeve 33 mounted by a pivot pin 34 in a bracket 35 which is secured underneath the extendible leaf I1; and an eye 36 is provided at its outer end, being located below and near the side edge of the leaf, so as to be conveniently engaged by a finger of the hand which grasps the leaf for moving it. Said lever has a locking nger or hook 31 on its inner end, which cooperates with locking means 38 provided on the top l5, and for economy said means is made in the form of a small plate which has a lip 39 struck out therefrom and is secured under said top adjacent the side edge.

It should be noted that the inward edge 31 of hook 31, and the outward edge 36' of lip 39, are rounded or shaped slanting, so that the hook will readily snap over the lip when the leaf l1 with its slide elements are slid back from the outer extended position, as shown in Fig. 4, into the operative position, as shown in Fig. 5, to lock it in such position against the top I5.

The operating lever 32 is furthermore provided with a lug 40 projecting from its nether side, which is positioned to engage the outer side of cross-bar 23 when the leaf has been moved to its outer position, as indicated in Fig. 4; and by this arrangement the cross-bar with its slide elements will be forced to move inward along with the extended leaf thereon whenever said leaf is being pushed from its outer extended position, shown in Fig. 4, to its operative position abutting the top, shown in Fig. 5, which will thus prevent any undesirable down-swinging of said leaf while it is being pushed into such operative position, as so unpleasantly happens with former extension table constructions.

In'operating this improved means with the extension leaf, the lever eye 36 is conveniently engaged by a finger of the hand and is readily drawn upwardly and outwardly for extending the leaf from the closed or inoperative position, and by such outward drawing on the lever the leaf will be automatically swung upwards on the slide frame as soon as the latter has been slid to its outer limit, thus placing the leaf in its outer position, as shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 4. The lever eye 36 is then released, whereupon the lever will automatically swing and drop the lug 4D down against the outer side of cross-bar 23; whereupon the cross-bar and slide elements will be forced to move along inward when the leaf is being pushed against the top |15, thus preventing any back-dropping of the leaf during such inward movement.

When it is desired to return the leaf from its extendedposition, then it is merely necessary to pull upward on eye 36, thus releasing hook 31 from lip 39, and by further drawing on the lever eye the slide frame is moved to its outer extended position, and at the same time the lug 40 is lifted above cross-bar 23, so that the leaf can be swung inward and downward on its link mechanism by pushing against the leaf, and by simply continuing such inward movement the leaf with the slide frame will then be slid into the closed position underneath the top l5.

With this improved construction, the extending as well as the closing operation can be performed readily with one hand, and a finger of that hand can easily grasp the lever eye 36 and operate the same, during such operation of the extension leaf.

I claim:

1. An extension table comprising a supporting frame have a top secured stationary thereon, a slide frame including a pair of elements and means for mounting them slidably in said table I frame under said top and having a cross-bar secured totheir outer ends, an extension leaf, and a pair of link mechanisms operatively supporting said leaf on said slide frame, each mechanism including an upper bar and a lower bar and a pair of parallel U-shaped links each of which has its two parallel arms pivotally positioned in a pair of bores provided in said two bars, the upper bar being secured underneath the leaf and the lower bar being secured to the side of one of said elements and being provided with a V- shaped notch in the upper part of the secured side for movably housing part of a link therein, thereby preventing any chance of the link arms working loose out of the bores and the two sides of the notch also limiting the inward and outward swinging movement of the links, whereby said leaf is readily movable into its operative position with the pair of upper bars supported entirely on the pair of link mechanisms and on the cross-bar and held spaced above said lower bar.

2. An extension table comprising a stationary top and a slide frame including elements mounted slidably under the top and having a cross-bar secured to their outer ends, an extension leaf and means for mounting it on said slide frame to move therewith under said top and also to move therewith and thereon into the operative position, an operating member mounted movably on said leaf and having its outer end positioned to be readily grasped and operated by a part of the hand which is engaging and moving the leaf, hook means on the member which automatically engages means on the top when the leaf is moved into its operative position, whereby to retain the leaf in said operative position, and means on said member to engage the outer part of the cross-bar when the leaf is in an extended position, whereby to prevent undesired retractive movement of the leaf on the slide frame when they are being placed in the operative position adjacent the top.

3. An extension table comprising a support and a top and bridge means Vfor securing the top on the support with its opposite side parts spaced above the support, a slide frame including elements mounted slidably under said bridge means and having a cross-bar secured to their outer ends, an extension leaf and link means mounting it swingably on said frame, adapting the leaf to be raised thereon for its operative position and to be lowered thereon and moved therewith into the closed position under said top, an operating lever pivotally mounted under said leaf and having means positioned near the side of the leaf to be readily grasped by a finger of the hand engaging the leaf, hook means on the inner end of the lever which automatically engages means on the top when the leaf is moved to its operative position and locks the leaf in such position, said hook means being easily released when the finger draws on the engaging means on the lever for retracting the leaf from said operative position, and lug means on the lever to engage the cross-bar when the leaf is in its outer extended position, whereby to prevent undesired back-swinging of the leaf when it is being pushed from its raised and extended position into its operative position against the top.

4. An extension table comprising a stationary top and a slide frame including elements mounted slidably under the top and having a cross-bar secured to their outer ends, an extension leaf and means mounting it swingably on said frame, adapted to slide therewith under the top and to be swung upward and outward on the frame for movement into the operative position, an operating lever provided with means for pivotally mounting it under said leaf, said lever being band-shaped and slightly resilient and having its outer end curved and positioned near the outer side of the leaf to be readily grasped by a finger of the hand which grasps the leaf to operate it, an integral hook on the inner end of the lever which engages means under the top to lock the leaf when moved to its operative position, but being readily released when drawing on the curved end in retracting said leaf, and lug means depending from the lever to engage the cross-bar when the leaf is in its outer extended position,

whereby to prevent back-swinging of the leaf when it is being moved from such position into its operative position.

5. An extension table comprising supporting means and a top and bridge means mounting, the top fixed on said means to have the opposite side parts spaced above the means, a slide frame including elements mounted slidably under the top and having a cross-bar secured to their outer ends, an extension leaf and a pair of link mechanisms mounting the leaf swingably thereon and adapted to slide therewith under the top, each mechanism including an upper bar and a lower bar and a pair of links each having a pair of par-V allel arms disposed in bores provided in said bars, the upper bar being secured under the leaf and the lower bar being secured to the side of a slide element and being arranged to retain the link safely between it and said element, and an operating lever pivoted under the leaf and having its outer end arranged and positioned to be easily grasped by a finger of the hand which grasps the leaf to operate it, integral means on the inner end of the lever to engage means on the top for locking the leaf in its operative position, and means on the lever to engage the cross-bar and prevent back-swinging of the leaf when it is being moved from its outer extended position to its operative position.

HERMANN NONNAST. 

